, 1887-10-08
THE ROAD TO WEALTH.
INTERESTING LETTER FROM THE
GREAT AMERICAN SNOWMAN.

Economy Leads to Riches, but "True
Economy Is Misapprehended"-G Good
Health Essential to Success-A Safe
Plan-Ambition, Politeness, Integrity.
The road to wealth is, as DR.. Franklin
truly says, "as plain as the road to mill. A"
1t consists simply in expanding less than
we earn. Many may say, 1--WE under
stand this; this is economy, and we know
economy is wealth; we know we can't eat
u cake and keep it also" Yet, perhaps,
more failures arise from mistakes on this
point than almost any other. True
economy is misapprehended, and people
go through life without properly compre-
hending what that principle is. There
are many who think that economy con-
sists in saving cheese parings and candle
ends, in cutting off twopence from the
~laundress' bill, and doing all sorts Of
little mean things.
Economy is not This false
economy may frequently be seen in men
of business, and in those instances it often
runs to writing paper. You find good
business men who ave all the old enve-
lopes and scraps, and would not tear q
new sheet of paper, If they could avoid it,
for the world. That is all very well; they
may in this way save So or $40 a year, but
being so economical (only in note paper),
htNJ AAAAN nv en- eAAOAt " - lIllN
to have expensive parties and to drive their
carriages. True conom consists in
always making the income exceed the out
go. 1t needs no prophet to tell us that
those who live fully up to their means,
without n thought of a reverse in this
life, can never attain independence.
H LAWS OF HEALTH.
The foundation of success in life is good
health; that is the substratum of fortune.
Then, how important it is to study the
laws of health, which is but another name
for the avs of nature. The closer we
keep to the laws of nature the nearer we
are to good health. Tobacco and rum
should be Stunned. To make money re-
quires a clear brain. No matter how
beautifully a man may be blessed with
intelligence, If the brain is muddled and
his judgment warped by drink, it is i'm
possible for him to carry on business sue
cessfully.
The safest plan, and the one most sure
of success for the young man starting in
life, is to select the vocation which is most
congenial to his tastes. There is as much
diversity in our brains as in our counter
ances. Some men are born mechanics,
while some have a great aversion to ma
chinery. Unless a man enters upon a vo-
cation intended for him by nature, and
best suited to his peculiar genius, he can
not succeed. After securing the right vo-
cation, you must be careful to select the
proper location, and not begin business
where there are already enough to meet
all demands in the same occupation.
No man has a right to expect to succeed
in life unless he understands his business,
and nobody can understand his business
thoroughly unless he learns it by personal
application and experience. You must
exercise caution in laying your plans, but
be bold in carrying them out. A man
who is all caution will never dare to take
hold and be successful, and n man who
is all boldness is merely reckless and
must eventually fail.
There is no such thing in the world as
luck. If a man adopts proper methods
to be successful, "luck'' will not prevent
him. If he loes not succeed there are
reasons for it, although, perhaps, he may
not be able to see them.
Money is good for nothing unless you
know the value of it by experience. Give
a boy $50, 900 and put him in business,
and the chances are that he will loose
every dollar of it before he is a year older.
Nine out of ten of the rich men of our
country today started out in life as poor
boys, with determined wills, industry,
perseverance, economy, and good habits.
EXCEL ALL OTHERS.
The great ambition should be to excel
all others engaged in the same occupa-
ton. Whenever you find the best doctor,
best clergyman, best shoemaker or any
thing else, that man is most sought for,
n always has enough to do. Every boy
should learn some trade or profession.
Engage in one kind of business only and
stick to it faithfully until you succeed, or
until your experience shows that you
should abandon it. A constant hammering
on one nail will generally drive it home at
last, so that it can be clinched. There is
good sense in the old caution about hav-
ing too many irons in the fire at once.
Beware of "outside operations"
Read the newspapers, and keep thor
oughly posted in regard to the ~transac-
tions of the world.
Be careful to advertise in some shape or
other, because it is evident that if a man
has ever so good an article for sale, and
nobody knows it, it will bring him nc re-
turn. The whole philosophy of life is,
first sow, then reap. This principle ap-
plies to all kinds of business, and to
nothing more eminently than to adver-
Using. If a man has a really good arti-
Gle, there is no way in which he ear reap
more advantageously than by sowing
to the public in this way.
P~oliteness and civility are the best CAPT
tai ever invested in business. Large
stores, gilt signs, flaming advertisements
will all prove unavailing if you or your
employees treat your patrons abruptly.
The more kind and liberal a man is, the
more generous will be the patronage. be-
stOwed,upon him..
Preserve your integrity; it is more
precious than diamonds or rubies. The
most difficult thing In life is to make
money dishonesty. Our prisons are full
of men who attempted to follow this
course. No man can be dishonest with
out soon being found out, and when his
lack of principle is discovered, nearly
every avenue to success is closed against
him forever. Strict honesty not only lies
at the foundation of all success in life
financially, but in every other respect
p. Il. Barnum in New York Sun.